Russia is deliberately prolonging peace talks on Ukraine to seize more territory and strengthen its negotiating position with the U.S., the Moscow Times reported on March 24, citing undisclosed sources.
A Russian diplomatic source told the Moscow Times that time is now playing in Russia's favor, and the Kremlin wants to "make the most of it."
The article follows U.S. President Donald Trump's recent calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky. After his talk with Trump, Putin claimed he had ordered a 30-day pause on strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Kyiv supported a mutual halt on strikes but accused Russia of continuing attacks against civilian targets.
Washington and Kyiv previously backed a broader 30-day ceasefire that would also halt ground operations, but Moscow rejected the proposal unless it included a suspension of foreign military support for Ukraine and other conditions that would weaken Kyiv's defenses.
A Russian official told the Moscow Times that the Kremlin hopes Washington will either tolerate further Russian offensives or pressure Ukraine into withdrawing from partially occupied regions, including Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
Russia illegally declared the annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts in 2022 despite occupying them only partially. Moscow also occupied Crimea in 2014. A Kremlin-affiliated source said Putin "cannot afford to lose" these regions politically, making their control a top priority.
Zelensky said on March 12 that Kyiv will not recognize any occupied regions as part of Russia in a potential future peace agreement with Moscow.
A new round of U.S.-Russian talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine began in Riyadh on March 24. The meeting, held a day after the U.S.-Ukraine talks, is expected to focus on a ceasefire in the Black Sea and broader truce negotiations, Reuters wrote.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, the talks "should not be expected to produce a breakthrough," and work is going on in "several directions," the pro-state media outlet Kommersant quoted her as saying.
The U.S. and Ukraine are expected to hold another round of talks following the U.S.-Russia discussions. The negotiations come amid Trump's ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire and a broader peace agreement in Ukraine.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
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